Happiness & Success

Are you feeling regretful, unappreciated, or stressed in some area of your life? Do you find yourself “shoulding” on yourself—“I should have done this . . . I should have done that”?  Want a simple solution?  List all that you have to be grateful for. That’s what I did this past weekend . . .

What a wild and wonderful weekend this past one was for us. Mother’s Day weekends can be that way. This one had more emotional activity and impact than most.

On Friday we celebrated my youngest son, Joe’s, 21st birthday. Legal age for everything adults do. After our lunch, Joe proudly gave us a virtual tour on his computer of the Architectural projects he completed this year at the University of Arizona. Joe went from legos at 6 to designing buildings at 21 seemingly in the blink of an eye.

Then on Saturday, we attended graduation ceremonies at the University of Arizona for my eldest son, Dominic. His mom also attended. It was the first time I had seen or talked with his mother in nearly a year. After the ceremonies, Dom left to celebrate with his mom. We felt fortunate to have spent time with him the previous day touring his hydroponic greenhouse project—the fruits of his labor from his Environmental Sciences studies at the U of A. He talked of feeding starving people in remote villages in Africa and other countries.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Our thoughts and words have great power. They are tangible, real energies that shape our lives.

Which makes me wonder . . . why do people spend so much time discussing negative things?  Whining and complaining is unhealthy for the Spirit. It dampens our joy.

On the other hand, talking about positive, uplifting things feeds our Spirit. It re-energizes and recharges us. It heightens our joy.

Recently, I gave an inspirational message to over 200 people about “Re-energizing and Recharging.”  (Watch a 28-minute video).

In my message, I shared about how Lyn and I had gotten stuck by situations that were happening in our lives—clients were not returning calls, people who were working on my new book were not responding to my emails, etc.  I was feeling stuck creatively. 

[Read the rest of this article...]

When was the last time you took time away from the “busy-ness” of life to re-energize and recharge your “batteries”?

Getting Away

This week, Lyn and I took a Sunday drive to Sedona, Arizona, and had a wonderful time hiking around Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte – (Click here to watch a re-energizing 7-minute video of our hike.)

It was great to get away for a while from the “busy-ness” of city life and our normal routine. As full-time RVers, we find that we get itchy wheels when we are parked somewhere for more than a month. It was time to scratch our itch.

Dreaming Re-energizes

On the drive up to Sedona, we had fun listing our dreams of things we want to do, places we want to see, and people we want to meet. We brainstormed ‘what’ we desire without worrying about ‘how’ we’re going to do it. As a result, we could feel our passion for adventure re-ignite. Much of what we listed was travel-related, which is why we love RVing so much. It was a great time to reaffirm what really makes us happy.

[Read the rest of this article...]

Springtime is such a great time for exciting new beginnings. Yet, many people struggle with creating something new.

Does fear stop you from creating exciting new beginnings in your life? Do you find yourself beginning something new, yet abandoning it in frustration before it’s finished?

If so, you will receive great value in the following five powerful steps to realizing any inspired idea, and an amazing true story that demonstrates what’s possible at any age.

Here are the five powerful steps for birthing any new creation . . .

1. Imagine – An inspired idea comes to mind through our imagination and intuition.

2. Visualize – Continuing to hold the idea in mind and discovering what all the ‘pieces of the puzzle’ are for this new creation to happen creates a clear vision (Note: This is not ‘How’ to do it--that comes later).

3. Expect – Expect that it will happen and decide and commit to do whatever it takes. This is where fear can rise up. This is also where it demands an exciting ‘leap of faith.’

4. Allow – Allow the natural design process to unfold and reveal ‘How’ to assemble all the pieces of the puzzle. Be open to unseen possibilities that present themselves.

5. Enjoy – Enjoy the process and celebrate your new creation.

(Ray speaks about the creation process in this entertaining video.)

Here’s a great (and funny) true story that demonstrates this process: 

[Read the rest of this article...]

Do you feel like you’re going it alone, but you’re reluctant to ask for help because you don’t want to impose on people—or even worse, you think others will think less of you?

I met with a friend last week who is contemplating a career change. He has not been enjoying his job ever since his company was bought out by another. He is being asked by management to do things he feels are out of integrity. So, he has decided that it is time to find a new job

He has been reluctant to ask others for help in finding a new job--a belief inherited from his dad who always told him to, “Be strong. Be a self-made man.” Another belief he has developed over time is not to be boastful and sell himself. Fortunately, he courageously took the step to spend a little time with me to shed these false beliefs and see the issue through different, more positive eyes.

We discussed 3 reasons why it is not a good idea to ‘go it alone.’

[Read the rest of this article...]

Would you like to feel reenergized and centered? Have you noticed what is happening around you these days?

Spring flowers are bursting into bloom—a great time to enjoy the precious beauty around you. We love Arizona wildflowers but sometimes take them for granted.

We are enjoying our intimate view of the Superstition Mountains while our RV is parked at Lost Dutchman State Park. With hardly a drop of precipitation in the Phoenix area this winter followed by snow in the Superstition Mountains three weeks ago, park rangers predicted a dismal display of wildflowers this year.

And then . . .

[Read the rest of this article...]

Would you like to have your life run smoother? I have learned that my life is joy-filled, peaceful and successful when I focus my attention purely on my intentions, patiently allow things to flow naturally, and persevere around any obstacles until desired results are achieved. 

In a favorite movie of mine, Evan Almighty, Al Mighty (God) said something that struck a chord, “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, do you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? 

[Read the rest of this article...]

How do you weather the storms in your life?  Maybe your outdoor plans for today have been dashed by the threat of storms. Or maybe fear is welling up in you knowing that you need to travel somewhere through the storm.  The key to weathering any “storm” in life is a shift in thinking.  Today’s storm brings tomorrow’s growth.   

Today I sit at my computer desk enjoying the pitter patter of rain drops falling on the roof of our 5^th wheel coach here in the beautiful Phoenix area.  With the storms all around me, rather than thinking about the problems they might bring, I’m focusing on the value and beauty of them--the air being refreshed, plants and trees being nourished, spring flowers bursting forth with joy.

It reminds me of the time in July 2002 during our Cycling for Peace journey across America when a storm took me by surprise, and what I did to get myself re-focused. 

[Read the rest of this article...]